By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ohio Democrats appear ready to fall into lock-step with the rest of the country in their choice of presidential nominee.

The latest Ohio Poll, released Friday, indicates 45 percent of Democrats who will vote in the primary plan to vote for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean were neck and neck in second place in the poll at 13 percent and 12 percent.

"People are just excited about what his vision for the country is," said Brendon Cull, Kerry's coordinator for the Cincinnati region.

"He's got the broadest support in a long time."

The Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati polled 274 voters Jan. 30-Feb. 10. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.9 percentage points.

Eight percent of voters characterized themselves as undecided. However, 60 percent of those who chose a candidate said they could change their minds before the March 2 primary.

"While these voters have an image of the candidates, the level of knowledge is not very deep at this point," said Eric Rademacher, co-director of the Ohio Poll.

That's largely because most of the candidates have not yet visited Ohio, although U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is bringing his campaign to Cincinnati next week. Despite being from Cleveland, Kucinich came in behind "undecided" in the Ohio Poll, at 7 percent.

With Kerry continuing to rack up wins in early primaries and two candidates - Wesley Clark and Joe Lieberman - dropping out since the poll began, the Democratic nomination may be all but locked up before Ohio votes.

That doesn't make Ohio's primary pointless, Rademacher said, because the size of Kerry's win could foreshadow how key a role the state will play in November.

If Democrats unite behind Kerry in big numbers, that could signal a close race here with President Bush, who won Ohio 50 percent to 46 percent in 2000.

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com